Doreen Marie Barton died peacefully in hospice on June 14, 2022 at the age of 69 after a courageous battle with glioblastoma. Born in Philadelphia on September 12, 1952, Doreen was raised in Jenkintown, PA and attended Bishop McDevitt High School. She then went on to graduate from Abington Hospital’s School of Nursing and began her 37-year-long career as a nurse. Doreen spent the bulk of her career nursing at Roxborough Memorial Hospital where she was a maternity ward nurse and then an operating room nurse. The last three years of her career at Roxborough were spent as the head of all surgical procedures. Before going into full retirement, Doreen worked as a school nurse in several schools in the School District of Philadelphia.
Doreen was married to the love of her life, Kelly, from June 26, 1976 until the time of her passing. Together they raised three kids, traveled with family and friends, and formed lifelong bonds with many people along the way. Doreen loved to help people. She especially fancied herself as a matchmaker, though she only could claim two successful matches that resulted from her many, MANY attempts. She loved a good party and hosted quite a few with Kelly while they lived on School House Lane in Germantown between 1979-2000. Doreen was an avid reader and referred to herself as a bookworm. By the time she retired, she was reading 3-5 books a week. She read so many books that she was often disappointed to open a new book and discover that she had already read it. Doreen was not a morning person, but she loved her morning coffee. When visiting her in Cape May, her grandkids knew to check to see if she had finished her cup of coffee before they could start asking her questions in the morning. However, they knew no matter what time they woke up, it was expected for them to go snuggle with her in bed first thing in the morning. On this she would not waiver - she insisted on her morning cuddles with her grandbabies. Doreen loved her grandchildren fiercely. She would often proudly declare that she had 9 grandchildren, and was thrilled to have an even 10 by the time she passed. Doreen lived a life to be admired because of all of the lives she touched and the good she put out into the world. After she passed, her family was often told by those who knew her, “you know, she was my favorite.”
Doreen leaves behind her husband, Bruce Kelly Barton; her three children: Kirsten (James) Adams, Kelly Ann (Jason) Cimorelli, and Kristofer (Deborah) Barton; her 10 grandchildren: Maci, Nico, Ada, Luca, Olivia, Alex, Madalena, Justin, Jacob, and Jeffrey; her six siblings: JoAnn Byrne, Jeannie (Wayne) Metzinger, Phyllis (Kevin) Dixon, Cynthia (Bryan) Sheehan, Carole Scomak, and Albert (Ann) Rivera; and was preceded in death by her parents John and Madeline DiBrino and her brother John DiBrino. Doreen leaves behind her in-laws who became her sisters and brothers over the years: Sigrid (Milton) Canaan, Karen Barton, Kathy (Joseph) Breuss, Molly (Edward) Wiseley, and was preceded in death by Brion Barton and Gerald Barton. Doreen also leaves behind dozens of beloved nieces and nephews.
“The true measure of a well-lived life is how well we love…and how well we are loved in return.” ― Cathy Maxwell